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Top 5 Grilling and Smoking Mistakes

And What You Can Do to Keep From Getting Your Man Card Revoked

If you're a man and you love meat then chances are you enjoy barbecuing in the backyard, but mastering the art of the backyard barbecue isn't as easy as it seems. Many men everywhere break out the grill or smoker and embarrass themselves with these common mistakes. If you don't want your man card revoked you need to watch out for these common problems that even veteran grillers and smokers make.Read More ...

Starting Cold

Putting cold meat on the grill or in the smoker is a big no-no. A cold or frozen steak isn't going to cook correctly. The cooking process takes quite a bit longer and you can end up with your thicker cuts and roasts being overdone on the outside and underdone on the inside. Get that meat out of the fridge a good twenty minutes before you plan on grilling or smoking, this will allow the meat to cook more evenly. Rubs and sauces also won't penetrate the meat as well when it's frozen, plan ahead and get it thawed.

Excessive Peeking and Tweaking

We men are curious by nature; we like to check on things, poke and prod, try to get things just right. Stop it! Step away from the smoker son! Every time you open that grill or smoker you are lowering the temperature and letting all that heat escape. Only open the lid or door to add more sauce or turn the meat. Your meat isn't going to disappear, turn green or boil over so stop looking at it all the time. Same thing goes for all those tweakers out there. If you aren't happy with the way things are cooking change one thing at a time to see if it helps. If you adjust everything then you won't really be in control of the way the meat is grilled or smoked.

Starting Off Too Big

So you got a nice new smoker for Father's Day and you're ready to go smoke some ribs or a big brisket and you've invited the whole family over. Sounds like a great plan, right? In the words of Admiral Ackbar "It's a trap!" You need to start small with your new smoker, same goes if it's your first time grilling. Hold off on inviting everyone over until you've gotten to know how your smoker works and how long different meats take to cook in it. Start small and work your way up, like anything it's going to take some practice which is great because it gives you lots of reasons to "practice" smoking different meats before the whole shebang.

Take Time to Cool Down

Resting the meat before carving it up is going to let it continue cooking internally and will lead to a more tender and juicy experience. Cutting it up too early is going to release that moisture and skip that last essential cooking process. The bigger the cut the longer you should let it rest after cooking, ten minutes is a good amount of time for the average size steak.

Keep It Clean

Just because you've finished eating all your delicious barbecue doesn't mean you're done. Get out there and make sure that your cooking area is clean. A lazy griller will leave residue on the grilling surface which can stick to the next food you put on the grill or tear off parts of that crust you've been working on. Get out there and clean things up while it's still warm and easy to remove. If you have a stainless steel surface use a wire brush to remove food particles then use some oil to coat the cooking surface. It's also a good idea to brush on some olive oil before you start cooking again to keep the meat from sticking.

Grilling and smoking take a lot of practice. Don't be afraid to try new things, but be sure you know what you're getting yourself into. As long as you avoid a few common pitfalls your barbecue should taste great and you'll have an enjoyable time perfecting your backyard art.